Assessment of liver fibrosis using transient elastography in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for the diagnosis of extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD).


METHODS
One hundred and seventy-four patients with ALD were enrolled in four liver units and underwent concomitant liver biopsy and LSM. Fibrosis was assessed using the Brunt et al. and the Chevallier et al. scoring systems. Steatosis and histological alcoholic hepatitis (HAH) were quoted in classes.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven patients had inadequate biopsy or LSM. Distribution in 147 patients according to the Brunt score (median LSM) was: F1: n=13 (5.7kPa); F2: n=24 (8.3kPa); F3: n=31 (17.5kPa) and F4: n=79 (40.9kPa) (P<0.0001). LSM was correlated with the amount of fibrosis according to the Chevallier score (r=0.70, P<0.0001). LSM was correlated to fibrosis stage (tau beta, 0.53; P<0.0001) and HAH (tau beta, 0.30; P<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, fibrosis was the only parameter correlated with LSM. The areas under the ROC curve were 0.94 and 0.87 for the diagnosis of extensive fibrosis (Brunt et al. score > or =3) and cirrhosis, respectively (threshold-values: 12.9 and 22.6kPa).


CONCLUSIONS
LSM accurately assesses extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis in alcoholic patients.
Nahon
Pierre
P
AP-HP, Service d'Hépato-gastroentérologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Avenue du 14 Juillet, 93143 Bondy, France. pierre.nahnon@jvr.aphp.fr
Kettaneh
Adrien
A
Tengher-Barna
Iulia
I
Ziol
Marianne
M
de Lédinghen
Victor
V
Douvin
Catherine
C
Marcellin
Patrick
P
Ganne-Carrié
Nathalie
N
Trinchet
Jean-Claude
JC
Beaugrand
Michel
M
D001706:Biopsy; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System / Q000592:standards*; D004548:Elasticity; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index